Can we take the bags off our heads yet?
I find all this openly worshipful behaviour more than a little disturbing. I don’t like it when I see it directed to rock stars — What possesses people to chant their names in unison? Is it not enough to be a slave? Why do you have to advertise it? — but I really mistrust it when it slops over into the political arena. And is it not all just a bit more loathsome for being attached to a foreign leader? Could we be more craven? Usually we reserve such spinelessness for Quebec separatists.
All the lefties have been cought up in the "Obamagasimization". When they realize, if they realize, that his pork package does not work they will still find excuses to support the Puppet of Socialism.
The Left (Democrats, Liberals) tend to idolatry; that is, to invest a real person, a human being, with god-like or supernatural characteristics.
They then attach themselves to this idol and thus invest themselves with this supernatural power. The reason the Left are involved in idolatry is because they are elitists. Their political framework has only two classes; the Elite Who Rule and the unruly Mass, the People. There is no middle class. The Elite are the Guardians, the Rulers, who Rule the Mass.
You can see this in Ignatieff's attachment of himself to Obama who is defined as an Idol, a Messiah. You can see this in his pontification, in his smug statements that our government is 'on probation', i.e., He, as an Elite, is judging it. Not us, the electorate - we are the unwashed Mass and don't have the wits to select, elect or evaluate our own governance.
That's also the basis of the Coalition of the NDP, Liberals and Bloc - an elitist, unelected Set of self-Defined Rulers.
Our MSM are all Liberals and so are awash in idol worship and disdain for the electorate.
The Right (Conservatives, Republican) reject idolatry. They also reject elistim. The political framework of the Right is Three classes, with the middle class, the people, assigned all the economic and political power. Power rests in the people, not in the halls of the bureaucracy in Ottawa.
Who are the 'elites' or upper class in a Right/Conservative framework? Not real people. Never. Instead, the upper class in a Conservative three-class society are the Mythic Heroes of the nation. In the US, these are the famed past presidents, the writers of the US Constitution and so on. We in Canada, unfortunately, haven't developed our mythic heroes.
Instead, in Canada, for most of our history, we've allowed the left, the Liberal Party, to function as an elitist set of Guardians, who define themselves as superior (beer and popcorn), who insist on Big Government because we the people are an ignorant mass. Elitists acknowledge us, the voter, only at election time, or, via special interest bribes to ensure we vote 'their way'.
Idolatry is an extremely useful strategy for the Liberal Left because it empowers them, who are attached to The Idol, this Supernatural Being, with Power. And the Left/Liberals have only one agenda. Power.
COyne is right - the behaviour of our MSM was disgusting. But that's the Liberal/Left.
yuck! Get a grip my fellow hosers-- he's a chicago politician at least as crooked as the average chicago pol.
After you service him with all that adulation he'll still forget you.
What I wanna know is: when Obama ends up being a one-termer, will it still be cool to suck up to Americans? Hmmmm?
This question resonates with me: "By the way, a whole lot of people are calling the visit "historic". Why?"
Why, indeed?
The orgasmic frenzy surrounding the Big O--premature ejaculation at best.
What did Chesterton say?
"Those who do not believe in God will believe in anything."
"Can we take the bags off our heads yet?"
What will it take to make Canadian media yappers understand that it is downright embarrassing watching supposed professionals slobbering in adulation of a foreign politician.
CTV's Giggles Taber, Oliver, Clark, Thompson all, rock star addled juvenile like performance.
It wasn't pretty, adult lickspittle is not becoming.
Nor does the love-in engender gravitas in any other reporting.
Obama came and he conquered Canada. We are in his back pocket now.
Harper is a pseudo nice Canadian guy and all that but he is not in the same league as this guy.
Even Coyne can't get away from fawning in a piece decrying it. President "I won" Obama avoids excessive partisanship? Like his continued lies during his stupid recent 'campaigning' for his spenduseless package that Republicans didn't want to do anything? His whining that anyone would dare criticize any part of that bill? Obama's notion of bipartisanship is 'doing as Obama says'. He's as partisan a jackass as anything that's ever emerged from the corrupt maw of the Chicago political machine.
Harper better damned not be in the same league....
I'm scared.
ccconn you said,
"Harper is a pseudo nice Canadian guy and all that but he is not in the same league as this guy."
I'm not too sure about that.
The way I see it, Harper has seen an opportunity with Obama.
Obama wants to do something about climate change. Bush did or did not want to for whatever reasons.
Obama wants to throw money at it. Harper probably says to himself...heh heh heh...Ka-ching! Throw it this way!
Just found this....
Could Obama measure up to Captain Kirk?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4854183a1860.html
Everything "our media" does every day in Canada is embarrassing. When has the Canadian media ever done an objective story on anything? Nice of Coyne to finally notice - for a smart guy he sure is slow sometimes. I guess he'll be invited to less parties now.
I think the Obama love is overrate. I heard only 1,000-2,500 showed up on parliament hill for Obama. There were more that showed up to support the Conservatives against the coalition even after prorogation was given.
Whoa you nailed it E T The big "O" will diminish as the people realize he is not "devine" or thank whatever gods there be "immortal" The very thing I have always liked about P M S Harper is that he is not a poloitician in the usual meaning of the word, The Liberal/left media are truely sickening, I will not allow them in my living room via t v. Good post sir!
Cheers Bubba
anyone who saw the news conferance after with Obama stumbling and bumbling his way through without a teleprompter( 15% ums , 15% ahs) and Harper filling in smoothly and confidently after cant believe Craggy Olivers slobbering after review of Obama. apparently he is not only blind but deaf.
When you have no shame or self-respect, you will do things like wave around ridiculously worded placards in very cold weather. Did not Our Lord (the real one, not the fake Chicago one) warn of false gods? I'm pretty sure He did.
cconnn
****Harper is a pseudo nice Canadian guy and all that but he is not in the same league as this guy.*****
this is a good thing
Harper is a leader of some distinction
the big Owe is rock-star quality only
Is there a good reason you link to a link to Coyne's piece, rather than directly to Coyne?
The slobbering left Canadian MSM is fact; the HDS is here.
In this piece the most quotes go to:
"Pierre Sadik, senior policy adviser with the David Suzuki Foundation"
with comments such as, "In last month's budget, the Harper government also had measures for energy efficient home retrofitting, and the optics of not being concerned about that with 24 Sussex would not look good."
...-
"PM's residence can't be a custom job: NCC documents
By Jack Branswell, Canwest News ServiceFebruary 21, 2009 6:01 PM"
http://www.canada.com/Technology/residence+custom+documents/1315899/story.html
djb: It's blogging ethics.
Great article by Coyne, I'm surprised he's so - well - forthright
Also very interesting to read the comment section. Why do I equate leftism with naïveté??? I know it's evidence based, but . . . .
Regarding ETs comments, I am baffled about the great unwashed. Those are the masses of people who also worship at the feet of the elites. They must know they have no status in their realm, so why are they so eager to play the role of serfs.
Without the middle classes, as stated, there are only rulers and the ruled. What is in it for the ruled? I have seen how they live in counties that are deeply invested that two level system. It's ugly everywhere you find it.
Other than those who are part of the psychopathic elite, why would anyone want this?
John, it seems to me that the ruled desperately need the Elite to tell them that everyone is equal, and to reassure them that no matter how little they contribute, they matter just the same
As a lifelong conservative I feel that our disgust with the current Obama-worship would be more convincing if we had not been guilty of the same inappropriate veneration of our leaders in the recent past.
For example, there was the naming of an airport after Reagan, as well as the campaign to have his likeness chiselled onto Mount Rushmore.
As well, during the recent Bush administration too many of us continued to defend his wildly unpopular policies with the only reason being "he said so". There was an unsavory hero worship of Bush among us that I believe history will judge harshly, especially given its consequences.
ET's assessment that liberals have disdain for the common people rings hollow in view of the fact that the common people have overwhelmingly rejected the Iraq war for some time, and Dick Cheney's response to their disapproval was "So?" as the government pursued its policies without caring what the common folk thought.
In my opinion such disregard for the ordinary people is antithetical to true conservative thought (not the mention the outlandish fiscal irresponsiblity of the Bush administration!). Remedies must be taken if conservatism is ever to be restored to its former glory - and to power.
Mel Shortner
Heck, if the average citizen goes gaga over Obama, all I can say is, knock yer self out.
What grinds my gears though is the pack of lackies constantly jocking for the prime real estate at his backside in the hopes it will somehow have that mass adoration come their way.
These flacid efforts of coat tail riding are often exhibited by political party leaders spending scant party resources on having their pic with Obama plastered up in Times Square. Other symptoms are temper tantrums and complaints of not having enough face time with Obama, said face time not being less than twenty minutes in length.
However, the sickness will always infect in pairs, and when the liberal lacky is given his demanded entitlement, he will always bring an unrepentant socialist along for the photo-op....err adoration (that way if things go off the rails he can blame someone else).
Regarding the current state of affairs, I was standing at the magazine rack at Wal-Mart while my car was getting serviced, when a small boy grabbed a magazine with you-know-who's picture on the front cover. "Obama! Obama!" the kid said, as he ran off to show it to his mother. Interesting times, these.
I thought it was more than just a bit ironic that given the majority of Canada's Ameriphobes all seem to live east of the Soo, they still managed to show up for the slobberfest in Ottawa. Obama may be enjoying his time in the Canadian sun but after a year of deep recession I think that the adulation will quickly wear away. He goes back to Washington where Canada rates quite low on the Congressional priority list. Just ask the real President: Pelosi.
Try as I might, I can't stand listening to the guy,
I'll read about what he tried to convey, it's shorter,but without the teleprompter, he's lost. He communicates on his own like Gary Busey at re-hab. There are none so blind...... and deaf.
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/debristrail/3863615071554337911/?a=32411
The Coyne piece is the most poignant that I have seen on the big O visit. He is the only commentator to point to the whiff of facism in the Obama frenzy. This is facism in the original sense of the term.
Canadian TV commentators to a woman/man made absolute fools of themselves Thursday. They are highly paid to present objective reporting, instead they acted like groupies for Seventeen, or Rolling Stone. At some point, maybe 4 years,
another president will appear. How can CBC/CTV ever again cover US politics seriously?
I watched the press conference on CNN and their was about correct, full coverage with about 4 minutes of analysis. Obama is the US president, and they are not exactly neutral, yet they can keep the excitement in check.
It's a sad day for Canadian journalism, and very disturbing.
Actually the heavy secury indicates a harsh reality.....some fool will make a martyr of him....
This inevitability had best occur on US soil....
Well said ET.
Like you, soccarmom, I'm in a quandary wondering how those evil Americans could exchange their wicked stripes for shooting stars overnight. My thoughts are that deep down the msm are nursing a hope that 'their' President will crush all Americans who believe that they are free people who are entitled to say whatever they wish, worship God, own property (including firearms - this is a 'threat' to the world slavery crowd who intend to be the ' enforcers'), kick people they don't like off their property, drive their own vehicles, etc. People of independent means are the most potent threat there is to world slavery; as envisioned by unca Mo and 'his gang'.
Remind me again, who Damian endorsed, and how he criticized every little thing about McCain, and about Sarah, diminished her at every opportunity; even Harper's Afghan policy was viewed negatively with; you just have observe him, we have him for four years, Thanks again, Damian
narciso, I thought the same thing, but if you go to the link, it's not Penny but Mark (who I admit still seems to harbour bizarre unsupportable delusions that Obama's supposed transnational cool unflappable I-Don't-Sweatiness is going to get the Germans and French to actually ante up in Afstan) quoting Andrew Coyne.
Damian is presumably still recovering from the unbearable ecstasy of seeing Obama in Canada and the soul-rending agony of being unable to vote for Him (though ACORN could easily assist with that yearning).
Excellent editorial in the National Post today. It essentially called out the 'average' Canadian's sentiments towards the U.S. as superficial and shallow.
I agree.
The leftards of Canada have a knee-jerk anti-American reflex, but now that the Obamessiah is in power, they either agree with, or at the least are no longer criticizing, American policies.
Pathetic.
Ever watch a launch of the space shuttle? The initial engine ignition is spectacular. The liftoff and arcing flight on a tail of bright flame is mesmerizing. Then comes the booster separation, which can be a bit nerve-racking, followed by the shuttle engines brightly marking the ever upward progress.
But then the engines shut down and momentum is the controlling factor. It is either sufficient to gain orbit, or the shuttle falls back to earth.
Obama is in the mo-stage. He and his supporters blithely assume he has ascended fast enough and far enough to be immensly successfull.
I, on the other hand, strongly believe that Obama has, and will, fail to achieve orbit. He will now begin a fall back to earth but, unlike the shuttle, there is no alternative plan for when the momentum bleeds off.
Whoops. This could be a spectacular crash following a spectacular launch.
Note aside: Will the MSM find it to be the fault of Bush, Cheney, Rove, or the guy who built the rocket: aka Joe the Plumber and all his fellow minions?
Another interesting take on the Obama/rock star adulation.
I learned early on in business that if you hire, and surround yourself, with good people you will look good.
Obama has surrounded himself with: an energy czar who doesn't know that oil is in his portfolio, a transportation secretary who advocates taxation of miles driven, a black attorney-general who immediately widens the racial divide, and a tax-cheat to run the IRS.
Does anyone know of any "rock star" who hires backup singers who sing better than the star?
We had a reporter last week who said that Obama was the first president since Washington for whom the presidency was a "step down"
http://wizbangblog.com/content/2009/02/21/terry-morans-explanation-why-obamas-first-month-is-being-panned.php
Mr O is apparently, way in "above his pay grade"...
This isn't as embarassing as the Reagan-Mulroney affair. I still cringe when I think about our PM singing to the US president.
I remember a joke I heard in the early 80's. What's 18 inches long, and hangs between Reagan's legs? Answer; Mulroney's necktie.
Reagan came along after a failed administration, and inspired people on both ends of the political spectrum. Obama has done the same thing, but keeping his star shining is going to be a big job. I don't think he's up to it. Getting elected was his greatest accomplishment, the rest is unimportant.
Speaking of "pay grade" - why didn't we see a million commercials from McCain after this statement?
Something to the effect of:
"Russia turns off gas to Eastern Europe in mid winter - their armies weakened by years of economic downturn, Eastern Europe turns to the US for assistance, then run audio: "That's above my pay grade"
Then, voiceover "as president, nothing is above your pay grade. Pay doesn't enter into it. You have to be a leader".
"I'm John McCain, and I approve this message"
The home page commentary (Cjunk) regarding the cult of Obama is right on the pin.
Jeffrey Simpson of the Globe and Mail is one of the worst. It should not have surprised me at all that he was born and spent his first ten formative years in the USA. Margaret Wente is from the USA, too. Neither of them has the capacity to be objective when it comes to Barack Obama, who wants to change the world. Both columnists appear to be personally invested in spreading the Obama message while disparaging our own Prime Minister with, frankly, chickenshit comments.
Petty wordsmiths, that's what they are.
Istill have a hard time believing after the eight years you idiot republicans just gave us,now our leader is being compared to the messiah!!!Yu really are a group of geniuses,Iguess after the leadership we've had in the last eight years Obama practically is a god.I mean he's intelligent,When he speaks you can tell he's not blatantly lying to the American public.Evil doesn't seem to just seep from him like Bush/Cheney,Yeah I guess with the limited intelligence gifted to people who supported McCain,Palin this is all we can expect ,an old fashioned witch hunt.